Kelton Lee Gibson's areas of expertise are in construction defect and toxic mold litigation, real estate, community association law and civil litigation. He serves as general counsel and construction defect litigation counsel for numerous homeowners' associations and, has handled in excess of 100 claims for construction defects for associations. He also is special counsel for cities and government agencies in connection with construction related disputes. He has conducted approximately 90 jury trials and numerous court trials, arbitrations and mediations.
Mr. Gibson is a past two-term president of the Channel Islands Chapter of the Community Associations Institute. He is a frequent speaker and writer in connection with legal issues, and has spoken not only for the Community Associations Institute, but also at West Coast Casualty's Construction Defect Seminars, Southern California Defense Counsel and the Ventura County Bar Association.
He graduated from the University of California at Santa Barbara in 1971 with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Political Science. He received his Juris Doctor from the University of Pacific, McGeorge School of Law in 1975, where he was a member of the Traynor Honor Society and the Moot Court Honors Board. Upon being admitted to the California State Bar he served as a Deputy Public Defender for four years, following which he joined J. Roger Myers and Monte L. Widders in the private practice of law.
Myers Widders, Gibson, Jones & Schneider, L.L.P., specializes in construction, real estate, insurance, business, corporate, community association and municipal law. Its partners were some of the pioneers in condominium construction defect litigation and prosecuted one of the largest landslide cases in the history of the state. Mr. Gibson has been the lead counsel in the two largest construction defect cases for homeowners' associations in the history of the Central Coast. The firm is city attorney for the cities of Ojai and Fillmore and represents numerous other cities and governmental agencies in land use matters and other complex litigation.
Mr. Gibson is active in civic and community organizations, including Rotary International. He was the lead counsel for the successful homeowners' association in the published opinion of Kovich v. Paseo del Mar Homeowners Association (1996) 41 Cal.App.4th 863, 48 Cal.Rptr.2d 758, which held that a homeowners association did not have the duty to disclose the existence of a construction defect action to prospective purchasers.
Mr. Gibson's speaking engagements include:
6/11/86 "Constructive Solutions to Construction Defects" presented to Community Associations Institute, Channel Islands Chapter
5/14/87 "Constructive Solutions to Construction Defects" presented to Community Associations Institute, Channel Islands Chapter
6/29/89 "Constructive Solutions to Construction Defects" presented to Community Associations Institute, Channel Islands Chapter
9/14/91 "Constructive Solutions to Construction Defects" presented to Community Associations Institute, Channel Islands Chapter
2/22/92 "Litigating Claims For Construction Defects, Particularly as Related to Community Associations" presented to Legal Secretaries, Inc. conference
10/21/92 "Homeowners Association Claims for Construction Defects" presented to Community Associations Institute, Channel Islands Chapter
11/05/92 "Construction Litigation Explosion" presented to the Association of Southern California Defense Counsel
2/28/95 "Covenants, Conditions and Restrictions and Neighbor Disputes" presented to Community Associations Institute, Channel Islands Chapter
11/04/95 "Working with Your Manager" Association Management Systems, Inc. Workshop
4/23/96 "Saving Your Castle" presented to Community Associations Institute, Channel Islands Chapter
10/26/96 "Repair, Maintenance & Common Problems Encountered by Associations" presented to Association Management Systems, Inc.
11/21/96 "Duties and Obligations of Homeowners' Association Directors" presented to Community Associations Institute, Mid-California Chapter
10/23/97 "Construction Defects: A Solution from the Plaintiff's Perspective" presented at the West Coast Casualty's Fifth Annual Construction Defect Seminar
5/27/97 "Contracts, Specifications and Bids" presented to Community Associations Institute, Channel Islands Chapter
9/27/97 "After the Construction Defect Case" Community Association Institute, Channel Islands Chapter 10th Annual Trade Faire
2/24/98 "The Davis-Stirling Act (With a Little Help From Our Friends)" presented to Community Associations Institute, Greater Los Angeles Chapter
10/3/98 "Saving Your Castle" Homeowner Association Claims for Construction Defects presented to Community Associations Institute, Mid-California Chapter
10/15/98 "A Working Relationship Between Homeowners Associations, Their Managers and Other Professionals" presented to Community Associations Institute, Channel Islands Chapter
3/23/99 "Invasion of Privacy and Defamation What is Properly Said and Done" presented to Community Associations Institute, Channel Islands Chapter
3/30/00 "Almost Fee Legal Advice" presented to Community Associations Institute, Channel Islands Chapter
6/07/00 "Rules Enforcement" presented to Community Associations Institute, Mid-California Chapter
7/27/00 "Almost Fee Legal Advice" presented to Community Associations Institute, Channel Islands Chapter
9/30/00 "Association Management & Top 10 Issues Involving HOAs" presented to Channel Islands Chapter Community Association Institute Exposition and Conference
9/15/01 "Overview of Community Associations" presented to Community Associations Institute, Channel Islands Chapter ABC’s program.
2001 "Sick Building Syndrome Mold Contamination in Buildings: Health Legal and Remedial Issues" Mold Seminar
2001 "Sick Building Syndrome Mold Contamination in Buildings: Health Legal and Remedial Issues" presented to Precision Environmental- for Structural Pest Control Company from Texas
5/01/02 "Sick Building Syndrome Mold Contamination in Buildings: Health Legal and Remedial Issues" presented to Ventura Marina Rotary
5/08/02 "Sick Building Syndrome Mold Contamination in Buildings: Health Legal and Remedial Issues" presented to Santa Maria Board of Realtors
5/09/02 "Sick Building Syndrome Mold Contamination in Buildings: Health Legal and Remedial Issues" presented to Santa Barbara Real Property Association
3/16/02 "Overview of Community Associations" presented to Community Associations Institute, Channel Islands Chapter ABC's program
5/29/02 "Almost Fee Legal Advice" presented to Community Associations Institute, Channel Islands Chapter
5/30/02 "Sick Building Syndrome Mold Contamination in Buildings: Health Legal and Remedial Issues" presented to Goetz & Associates and Manderley Property Services, Inc.
10/24/02 "Sick Building Syndrome Mold Contamination in Buildings: Health Legal and Remedial Issues" presented to The Ventura County Coastal Association of Realtors
11/05/02 "Sick Building Syndrome Mold Contamination in Buildings: Health Legal and Remedial Issues" presented to Conejo Valley Board of Realtors
6/14/03 "Sick Building Syndrome Mold Contamination in Buildings: Health, Legal and Remedial Issues" presented to American Institute of Architects
11/21/03 "Sick Building Syndrome Mold Contamination in Buildings: Health, Legal and Remedial Issues" presented to Pitts & Bachmann
3/23/04 "Almost Fee Legal Advice" presented to Community Associations Institute, Channel Islands Chapter
2/11/05 "The Use and Abuse of Expert Witnesses" presented to the CPA Law Society (2 times)
11/12/05 "Homeowner Association Meetings, Minutes, Maintenance and Assessments" presented to Manderley Property Services
11/16/05 The Davis-Stirling Act (With a Little Help From Our Friends) presented to Community Associations Institute, Greater Los Angeles Chapter
2/04/06 "New HOA Laws 2006" presented to Community Management Specialists
2006 "Use and Abuse of Expert Witnesses" presented to Ventura County Trial Lawyers
West Coast Casualty Construction Defect Seminar - 2 time speaker
Ventura College Construction Technology Speaker, approximately 10 times
